Abstract

A 16-year-old boy sustained a salter III fracture of the upper tibia following a motorcycle accident. Except for well localized knee pain, the patient did not have any other symptom. Repeated clinical examination did not reveal any absent peripheral pulse. Given the state of the fracture, anatomical reduction and screw fixation was planned in the operating room. Twelve hours after admission the patient was taken to the operating room. During the period preceding surgery he continued to have normal vascular clinical examinations. Further clinical assessment was performed in the operating room and remained to be normal. However after induction and upon extension of the lower limb, peripheral pulses in the affected side were abruptly lost. Urgent vascular exploration of the area showed a popliteal artery dissection necessitating a bypass graft to restore blood flow. We present a review of the literature alongside a case report showing how popliteal artery pathology in a similar context can present late and be for a period of time clinically undetectable.